It’s August 1st. School is starting back up, pumpkin spice is on the shelves, clothing brands are pushing turtlenecks and wool sweaters, a Spirit Halloween store just popped up in the strip mall. Which is great— for some. But for me? I’m not quite ready to let summer go yet.
I haven’t had enough of dreamy island settings or ancient sea monsters or bubbling water magic. I don’t want House of the Dragon to be over, I’m not ready for witch season, and I refuse to get out of the pool.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for summer already, too, here are 14 great fantasy books that will give you those endless summer vibes!
A Curse so Dark & Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Blurb: Cursed to repeat the autumn of his 18th year over and over, Prince Rhen knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a beast. When Harper tries to save someone, she’s instead sucked into Rhen’s cursed world. As she spends time with him, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as he realizes she is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back.
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: January 2019 | Goodreads | Amazon
“Not all scars can be seen, my lady.”
All the Chaos of Constellations by Hillary Raymer
Blurb: Novalise has until end of Midsummer to marry. When fate binds her to a male who wants nothing to do with her, she’s uncertain if she should choose a husband or let her brother decide for her. When an assassin arrives with a solution, she strikes a deal. Asher wants nothing to do with love, so when one fateful kiss reveals his mate, he refuses to accept her. Until the female bound to him announces her engagement to an assassin.
Age category: Adult
Release date: March 2024 | Goodreads | Amazon
“If she was the stars, he was her sky. If he was the fire, she was his frost. She captivated him. Completed him.”
A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle
Blurb: When Princess Maren was 16, she sold her soul to the sea witch, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. After years of his abuse she wants nothing more than to reverse the spell. When they’re traveling and taken hostage by pirates, she may have a chance to get her old life back—even if finds herself falling for the captian, despite his deadly secret.
Age category: Adult
Release date: May 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“You were never meant to be a princess, Maren. You were meant to be a queen.”
Angel of Water & Shadow by Tory Guyon
Blurb: River assumes the voices she hears are a figment of her grief. She’s happy when they suddenly vanish—until a demon attacks her, a werewolf tries to eat her, magic manifests at her fingertips, and they aren’t there to explain. Instead, a hunter named Ryder is. Caught in a battle between supernatural realms, to save humanity, she must find the Voices and unlock her buried past.
Age category: Upper Young Adult / New Adult
Release date: May 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“I simply became the element.”
Ballad of Sea and Sky by Madeleine Eliot
Blurb: Marina doesn’t want the life her parents want for her, but when they announce her betrothal to the captain of the guard, she accepts her duty. Until an enemy siren is captured and presented to her father, and she can’t think of anything else. In a twist of fate, she finds herself the prisoner of an enemy king in a plot to end a war between their peoples that will end in death or heartbreak.
Age category: Adult
Release date: December 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“Survive a maelstrom, defeat a kraken, get shipwrecked and drowned, save an enchanted lake,” Caspian grumbled.”
Circe by Madeline Miller
Blurb: Turning to mortals for companionship, Circe discovers she has the power of witchcraft. Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her craft, tames beasts and crosses paths with mythology figures. She unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, finding herself pitted against a vengeful Olympian. To protect what she loves most, she must choose whether she belongs with the gods or the mortals.
Age category: Adult
Release date: April 2018 | Goodreads | Amazon
“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none.”
From the Mouths of Sirens by Abigail Hair
Blurb: Princess Saoirse has trained in hopes to be chosen for a competition in which four nations compete for the right to rule. If she survives, she will win the Crown and overthrow the nation responsible for her mother’s death. When she’s denied entry, she makes a bargain with an imprisoned sea witch. In exchange to compete, she agrees to kill the enemy prince and bring back the witch’s stolen dagger. The last thing she expects is to fall for him.
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: May 2022 | Goodreads | Amazon
“May Glory be given.”
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Blurb: Simi serves the gods as Mami Wata—a mermaid—collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home. When a living boy is thrown overboard, she goes against an ancient decree and saves his life. Punishment awaits, and to protect the other Mami Wata, she must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems.
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: November 2021 | Goodreads | Amazon
“Do not be ashamed of who you are.”
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Blurb: In a world ruled over by the Descended, the cruel offspring of the gods, Diem yearns to escape. Her mother’s disappearance offers her a chance to enter the world of Descended royalty and uncover the mysteries she left behind. With the dying King’s heir watching her every move, she will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.
Age category: Adult
Release date: June 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“We never needed to see all of each other to love all of each other.”
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Blurb: After a career as a pirate, Amina al-Sirafi is ready to retire. When she’s tracked down by the mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job. The chance to have one last adventure, do right by a friend, and win a fortune? An obvious yes. Yet the deeper she dives, it becomes clear there’s more to it…
Age category: Adult
Release date: August 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“After all, we build our homes upon the ruins of lost cities and sail our ships over the drowned palaces of forgotten kings.”
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Blurb: Celaena is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. When her Guild Master, Arobynn, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her allegiance. If she hopes to escape his clutches, she will have to put her faith in her wits and her blade; knowing that if she fails, she’ll lose not just a chance at freedom but her life.
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: March 2014 | Goodreads | Amazon
“My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered, “and I will not be afraid.”
The Ever King by L.J. Andrews
Blurb: For years Erik, king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves. Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains, and he makes her a pawn in his game of revenge. She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price. Unless she steals his heart first.
Age category: Adult
Release date: September 2023 | Goodreads | Amazon
“Hate me, curse me, I cared little, so long as I was the first thought of her day and the last of her night.”
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
Blurb: Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches. With only weeks until demons devour everything on her island home, she’s running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a priest convinces the faithful that killing her is the their only hope, she hires Dante to become her personal bodyguard. Is he the one person who can help her or destroy her once and for all?
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: June 2022 | Goodreads | Amazon
“When the game is over, the king and the pawn go in the same box.”
Where Oceans Burn by Casey L. Bond
Blurb: Elira is faced with two choices: capture her most formidable enemy or forfeit her wings. When she find herself at the mercy of her enemy, she accepts her fate. Instead of death, he honors his orders to guard her. Forced together, he reveals his hope to garner peace. The longer she is among his kind, the more she wonders if he might be right, and if an alliance be the salvation of their peoples.
Age category: Young Adult
Release date: October 2022 | Goodreads | Amazon
“You have to traverse the darkest valleys to reach the highest peaks.”
Make sure to go to Goodreads for the full blurbs—I condensed as best I could.
I hope you enjoyed these 14 great fantasy books that feel like summer! Whenever you’re ready for winter, might I suggest this blog post that has a whole list of books like Twilight?
Also—I KID YOU NOT THERE’S A SPIRIT HALLOWEEN BANNER ALREADY UP AT THE MALL ?
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